For the next month, Julian came to the apartment almost every day. Sometimes he only stayed for a while. Sometimes he spent the night.
Of course, Serena slept in the bedroom, while he slept on the couch.
He never mentioned Evelyn again. He never spoke of the engagement, as if those things had never happened.
He began learning how to cook, though the results were disastrous. He also started bringing her the little desserts she used to love. He even began planning trips for them, saying he wanted to take her to Iceland to see the Northern Lights.
Serena rejected everything. She did not argue. She did not fight him. She simply accepted his kindness in silence. After he left, she poured the food into the trash and threw away the gifts.
Her quiet compliance gradually lowered Julian's guar
